Fly swatter



Jan; 6, 1953 w. E. ATKINSON FLY SWATTER Filed May 13, 1949 WalZaceEAi/Cinson ATTOR N EY Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLY SWATTER Wallace E. Atkinson, Petersburg, Va. Application May 13, 1949, Serial No. 93,088

1 Claim.

This invention relates to fly swatters and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this type whereby the victims can be readily and conveniently collected for disposal.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind including a striker blade together with a scoop element carried by a marginal portion of the blade to facilitate disposal of the victims.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved fly swatters whereby certain advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of a swatter constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the handle member being in fragment;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3-is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the assembly of the swatter head and scoop;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a slightly modified form of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, H denotes the head of the swatter which comprises a body sheet I of a suitable foraminous material herein disclosed as a screen fabric of desired mesh.

The head H is of desired dimensions and configuration and a binding or selvage strip 2 is disposed around the marginal portions of the sheet I.

To one extremity of the head H is suitably at-,

tached a handle member 3 while the binding or selvage strip 2 disposed across the opposite end portion of the head H, provides a relatively wide face a to which is securely attached, by the stitching 4, or otherwise, a marginal portion of a scoop plate 5. This plate 5 may be plastic, isinglass or other sturdy flexible material and is thin in thickness.

The rear portion of the plate overlies the associated binding or selvage strip 2 and such parts or portions, in the present invention, are firmly connected by the stitching '4 hereinbefore referred to or otherwise as may be preferred.

The scoop plate 5 extends substantially entirely across the adjacent extremity of the head H and is disposed outwardly therefrom for a substantial distance. The outer or transverse edge of the plate or blade 5 is beveled, as at b, to provide a knife-like edge to facilitate the functioning of the plate or blade 5 in the collection of the victims for disposal.

In this embodiment of the invention the binding or selvage strip 2 is folded or moulded over the marginal portions of the sheet I and held by such binding or selvage strip is a stiffening element 6 preferably of spring steel. This element 6 extends entirely across the end portion of the head H with which is associated the scoop plate or blade 5 and extends a distance inwardly of the head H at the opposite side thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 the structure is substantially the same as the first embodiment of the invention except the outer end portion of the swatter head H does not have associated therewith a reinforcing element such as 6 in the first embodiment.

In practice the swatter is used in the well known way for the destruction of flies or other insects while the plate or blade 5 perm-its the device to be used to sweep the victims into piles to facilitate collection of the victims by scooping them upon the plate or blade 5.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that fiy swatters constructed in accordance with my invention are particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which they may be assembled and used.

I laim:

In a fly swatter including a handle, a head formed of a piece of flexible foraminous material having a substantially rectangular outer end portion, a binding disposed about the edges of said piece and secured thereto, a metal reinforcing element bounding the end edge and corners of said outer end portion and held in place by said binding, a scoop plate of substantially flexible material secured along the outer end edge of said head, and stitching for securing said scoop plate to the head, said stitching extending through the plate and binder and engaging the rein-forcing element to maintain it in position against a surface of the binding tape so as to provide a rigid support for the contiguous ends of the foraminous material, the binder and the plate.

WALLACE E. ATKINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 277,266 Godfrey May 8, 1883 1,121,708 Bennett Dec. 22, 1914 1,326,577 Cullen Dec. 30, 1919 2,083,727 Mattes-on June 15, 1937 

